Friday, November 23, 2007

Post-Thanksgiving Grab-Bag

No, it's not Thanksgiving, but I hope that everyone had a happy one.
Today is Friday, and no I didn't set the alarm for oh-dark-hundred hours so that I could be at the malls when they opened at 4 a.m. or midnight or whatever. SWMBO asked me if I was disappointed that she hadn't done so, I told her that if she was up in the wee-small hours to shop, she needed her head examined.
I'm too lazy today to post much, but I do have a few little things in the grab-bag: For the historically minded, here's a link to a list maintained by the Centre for First World War Studies at the University of Birmingham, on the nicknames of First World War British Generals.
If you doubt that real life is weirder than any possible fiction, check out Wretchard at Belmont Club's post on the strange influence of western popular culture on assorted Third World murderers and bandits.
If you must think about Presidential politics, forget Hillary and Obama for a bit, and have a look at this piece under John McCain's name in the Des Moines Register. I've said plenty of hard things about McCain, but the more I hear of him lately, the more I'm inclined to forgive him whatever sins I taxed him with. I sure like the way this sounds:
I am running for President to protect our country from harm and defeat its enemies. I am running for President to restore trust in our government and to ensure it remains worthy of that honor. I am not running to leave our biggest problems to an unluckier generation of leaders, but to fix them now, and fix them well.
I am running for President to make sure America maintains its place as the political and economic leader of the world; the country that doesn't fear change, but makes change work for us; the country that does not look longingly to the past, but aspires to even better days. I am running for President of the United States, a blessed country, a proud country, a hopeful country, the most powerful and prosperous country and the greatest force for good on Earth.
All that's more or less my political religion.
Charles Krauthammer has a good column on Iraq today, which I mostly agree with. However, I am mistrustful of all the optimism in the air on Iraq, where the situation appears to me to be improved, but not under control. We will be in Iraq for years more, whoever is elected in 2008.
The Australian parliamentary elections are tomorrow. The US has a big stake in the outcome: and we must hope that Prime Minister Howard (a staunch US ally) and his center-right coalition manage to maintain control of the next Parliament. Right now it looks too close to call.

8 comments:

Gary said...

As expected, Howard loses over the unpopular war and his conservative policies.

El Jefe Maximo said...

Inasmuch as Mr. Rudd pledges to bind Australia to the lunatic Kyoto Protocol, Australians will have sound economic reasons to regreat their choice, soon enough.

Anonymous said...

Hey El Jefe:

Forgot where you were. Still can't get past this posting server, so I'm officially Anon.

Capt Ed thinks Rudd will continue Howard's line, and his Kyoto and Iraq pullout promises are ceremonial. Hmmm.

Hope you had a great T-Giving.

Rhod

El Jefe Maximo said...

Hey Rhod,

Glad to see you again. Yeah, I don't like the stupid sign-in posting thing for comments, but better that than a billion ads for Viagra.

Hmmmm, hope Capt. Ed is right. Personally, I think Kyoto is attractive to the politicos only so long as there is no prospect of it applying to anything.

Candidly Caroline said...

I definitely can say that I was NOT up at 4 a.m. for the Early Bird specials! I think I woke up at the crack of 10 a.m. I DID do a little bit of shopping, though, before the Aggies gave a WHOOPing to the Longhorns! ;)

Rhod: Google makes you put in your entire e-mail address now as your username; that may be the problem.

El Jefe Maximo said...

The crack of 10 a.m...that is my preferred sleep-mode on holidays and weekends. Doesn't happen too often anymore, though.

Aggies and Longhorns ? Well the less said about that one, the better.

Anonymous said...

I told her that if she was up in the wee-small hours to shop, she needed her head examined.


suuuure you did.........
there are only two possibilities.
either EJM Iwill be sleeping in the garage until spring or SWMBO doesn't read this blog.

Anonymous said...

SWMBO- garage it is!! He needs HIS head examined, and that A&M UT game was FAB. El Jefe was trying to quiet me but NOTHING doing....I say enjoy while the enjoying is good.

Might just have to send out El Jefe at 4 a.m. with a list of required purchases next year before he can return! SWMBO